You would think after 3 years of homeschooling my kids I would have a system down that I'm comfortable with. I'm a flip flopper. I love the unschooling approach where few books are used and the kids study what interest them in whatever way they find interesting. It does work for the nay sayers. We've done it while in Cape Cod and several others places.
But I love books, any books, curriculum, reading, instruction anything at all. Most often each week I plan out the kids assignments. They are used to that and so am I. In a sense it is easier to stick with because it is familiar.
This week I am tired with a very full week. Maybe it is the universe telling me to change with the season. We are unschooling this week. Yesterday we picked some pumpkins from the garden, scraped out the seeds and cooked them, then cooked the pumpkin. Today we will make pumpkin bread. The kids love cooking with me.
I pulled out the microscope this morning and dusted it off. We took a few feathers from the chicken coop and looked at them under the microscope. Very cool. It led to a huge discussion on why the barbs of the feathers are crossed and how this would be great insulation, especially if the feathers are stacked on one another.
Patrick has decided to work on his marine biology. It is highschool level (he's in 7th grade). He chose the next chapter and is working on the questions on the computer. Morgan chose some language arts to do. Tae has pulled out his workbooks. He loves his workbooks and has pretty much taught himself all the letters of the alphabet without any help from me. He gets them mixed up at times and confuses his numbers but all in all, he's doing great. He's doing it all by himself and is even reading small words mostly from recognition. Not bad for a four and half year old.
Maybe flipflopping is my style. Maybe it's ok-maybe it's a healthy medium. Maybe I'll never figure this out.
But I love books, any books, curriculum, reading, instruction anything at all. Most often each week I plan out the kids assignments. They are used to that and so am I. In a sense it is easier to stick with because it is familiar.
This week I am tired with a very full week. Maybe it is the universe telling me to change with the season. We are unschooling this week. Yesterday we picked some pumpkins from the garden, scraped out the seeds and cooked them, then cooked the pumpkin. Today we will make pumpkin bread. The kids love cooking with me.
I pulled out the microscope this morning and dusted it off. We took a few feathers from the chicken coop and looked at them under the microscope. Very cool. It led to a huge discussion on why the barbs of the feathers are crossed and how this would be great insulation, especially if the feathers are stacked on one another.
Patrick has decided to work on his marine biology. It is highschool level (he's in 7th grade). He chose the next chapter and is working on the questions on the computer. Morgan chose some language arts to do. Tae has pulled out his workbooks. He loves his workbooks and has pretty much taught himself all the letters of the alphabet without any help from me. He gets them mixed up at times and confuses his numbers but all in all, he's doing great. He's doing it all by himself and is even reading small words mostly from recognition. Not bad for a four and half year old.
Maybe flipflopping is my style. Maybe it's ok-maybe it's a healthy medium. Maybe I'll never figure this out.
1 comment:
Great blog! I am also a sometimes curric/ sometimes unschooly mama. I am a firm believer that as long as the children are dirty, they are learning:)
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